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soundpplay
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Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by soundpplay » 03/17/23 at 1:23pm
Trying to restore this blue amberola cylinder. I’ve heard of people using plaster of Paris but don’t know if I ave the skills or know-how to make it work. 😅 Anyone had any luck in the past?
PhonoMachine
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by PhonoMachine » 03/17/23 at 8:37pm
Haven’t used plaster of Paris, but I’ve tried a mix of white glue and primr. Look for the good quality stuff, though…might be worth investigating.
PhonoMachine
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by PhonoMachine » 03/17/23 at 8:38pm
PhonoMachine: Haven’t used plaster of Paris, but I’ve tried a mix of white glue and primr. Look for the good quality stuff, though…might be worth investigating.
primer* Whoops!
Karey29
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Karey29 » 03/18/23 at 9:43pm
What’s the cylinder? I’m not an expert, but if it’s a fairly common song, you might have more luck trying to find a more complete copy.
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Re:Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Tinfoilvoice » 03/19/23 at 12:02am
Karey29: What’s the cylinder? I’m not an expert, but if it’s a fairly common song, you might have more luck trying to find a more complete copy.
^^ This. I had a damaged cylinder from a friend’s aunt, from what turned out to be a pretty popular musica act from the time, and scored another one on eBay for way cheaper, in a better condition.
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by NewEdisons » 03/19/23 at 9:02am
Where have you all been finding these things? I don’t know much about cylinders but a late friend gifted me an Amberola 30…
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Theas » 03/19/23 at 9:34am
Gifted? Lucky! And have you heard of this little thing called Google? …Joking …
Karey29
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Karey29 » 03/19/23 at 10:50am
Theas: And have you heard of this little thing called Google?
Lol
soundpplay
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by soundpplay » 03/18/23 at 2:03pm
Karey29: What’s the cylinder? I’m not an expert, but if it’s a fairly common song, you might have more luck trying to find a more complete copy.
“Nobody Knows Where Billy Went.” Show or album or act billed below is “Billy in Gold Mountain.” Ring any bells?
Karey29
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Karey29 » 03/21/23 at 1:45pm
soundpplay: “Nobody Knows Where Billy Went.” Show or album or act billed below is “Billy in Gold Mountain.” Ring any bells?
I’m looking it up but having trouble finding anything.
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by BorisMKim » 03/28/23 at 8:10am
Maybe Billy in Gold Mountain is a pseudonym for another act?
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Joe » 04/02/23 at 9:12pm
Try it here. https://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/
prettylil
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by prettylil » 04/21/23 at 6:29am
Gold Mountain — San Francisco/U.S. to the Chinese immigrants around that time.
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Iknowright » 05/02/23 at 4:00pm
soundpplay: “Nobody Knows Where Billy Went.” Show or album or act billed below is “Billy in Gold Mountain.” Ring any bells?
Never heard of it. Google’s not pulling up anything either.
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by BorisMKim » 05/02/23 at 9:45am
Or maybe a translation of something from Peking opera?
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by soundpplay » 05/02/23 at 1:23pm
Iknowright: Never heard of it. Google’s not pulling up anything either.
Lol, are you saying I’m lying about it?
Theas
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Theas » 05/16/23 at 10:40pm
A generous guess. It’s probably something from a Chinese impersonator's act.
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Kieren » 05/18/23 at 4:28pm
BorisMKim: Or maybe a translation of something from Peking opera?
Entertaining the possibility; if it’s something from Peking opera there’s probably not a record of its English translation online. That would be very impressive. A friend had a record for his VV-VI, the label on it is handprinted in Chinese. Had to ask the local university for a translation, and they were very helpful and responsive. It turned out to be a collection of instrumental recordings from a Jīngjù, 霸王别姬 (Farewell My Concubine.) Still very popular today!
Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by null » 05/19/23 at 12:01am
soundpplay: “Nobody Knows Where Billy Went.” Show or album or act billed below is “Billy in Gold Mountain.” Ring any bells?
I know it. It’s a British song, an adaptation, based on a character from The Ruse of the Empty City, a traditional Peking opera.
Theas
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Theas » 05/19/23 at 1:23am
Ummm….my search is saying The Ruse of the Empty City opera only came about in 1960.
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by toothfuls » 05/20/23 at 1:49am
Theas: Ummm….my search is saying The Ruse of the Empty City opera only came about in 1960.
Tbf its an ancient story (three kingdoms)
Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by null » 05/20/23 at 1:51am
It’s from The Ruse of the Empty City.
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by prettylil » 05/20/23 at 10:23am
Ok. Which character then? What does it have to do with Gold Mountain? That doesn’t make sense. At least do your basic research before lying 🤥
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Tinfoilvoice » 05/20/23 at 10:12pm
prettylil: Ok. Which character then? What does it have to do with Gold Mountain?
Lol, my favorite Three Kingdoms character, Billy.
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Kieren » 05/23/23 at 6:30pm
null: It’s from The Ruse of the Empty City.
This is the earliest record of the show I can find. “Ruse of the Empty City LP record held at the Princeton University Music Library is rare in China, but not uncommon in the West. There are at least 90 holdings of 1960 edition or its reproductions in the OCLC system. This is a 12-inch diameter playing non-breakable micro groove at 33⅓ revolutions per minute (rpm). There are no Chinese characters, only English and pinyin names. The information includes: Ruse of the Empty City, a traditional Peking Opera recorded in China. The record has two jackets, a hard and soft case, with 8 pages of unnumbered English plot introduction and script, translated by C.K. Huang and Soo Yong Huang. Folkways Records number FW 8882. Copyright 1960 by Folkways Records and Service Corp., USA, 117 West 46th Street, New York City, cover design by Ronald Clyne (1925–2006).”
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Lanzhi » 05/25/23 at 4:50am
I think the show was first compiled by Lu Shengkui (1822-1889), based on the Baidu page https://baike.baidu.com/item/空城计/5552620 . But I still don’t think the show is connected to the song. Speaking as someone from China. :)
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Karey29 » 05/25/23 at 11:44am
null: It’s from The Ruse of the Empty City.
Who is this guy anyway?
Tinfoilvoice
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Tinfoilvoice » 05/25/23 at 12:02pm
null: It’s from The Ruse of the Empty City.
^ He has 0 other posts…Report him.
Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by null » 05/25/23 at 12:03pm
It’s based on The Ruse of the Empty City.
Karey29
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Karey29 » 05/25/23 at 12:32pm
It’s based on The Ruse of the Empty City.
Okay, show some proof then.
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by PhonoMachine » 06/01/23 at 4:23am
soundpplay: “Nobody Knows Where Billy Went.” Show or album or act billed below is “Billy in Gold Mountain.” Ring any bells?
I’ve found Nobody Knows where John Brown Went from 1906. Don’t know if Bily went with him, though 😄 Maybe a cover?
Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by null » 06/01/23 at 4:24am
It’s based on The Ruse of the Empty City.
toothfuls
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by toothfuls » 06/01/23 at 6:40pm
null: It’s based on The Ruse of the Empty City.
gtfo
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by EdisonQueen » 06/21/23 at 12:33pm
soundpplay: Lol, why would I lie about it?
This photo attachment is broken. Can you reuplad it?
soundpplay
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by soundpplay » 06/21/23 at 9:08pm
Yes, sorry about that.
PhonoMachine
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Re: Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by PhonoMachine » 06/21/23 at 10:52pm
PhonoMachine: Nobody Knows where John Brown Went from 1906
Realized I never included this. Link here!
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by Richard » 06/23/23 at 1:41pm
Back to the issue OP actually was asking for help on. I’ve had luck with Plaster of Paris in the past. Blue Amberols are already built on a Plaster of Paris core. If you don’t fill it in the celluloid might cave in a tiny bit is what I’ve found. I don’t know if there’s a way to fix that but filling it in prevents further deforming. I’ve heard of people using spackle, epoxy, and the stuff for drywall...
Best of luck 🙂
Richard K.
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soundpplay
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Re: Cylinder restoration – HELP!
Post by soundpplay » 06/23/23 at 11:29pm
Thanks, Richard! I’ll try it out.